Hands up who here hates menu's when you call a company, just let me talk to a real person.

[texanwitch]

Just to get to a real person is hell.

I changed banks because of this.

All I wanted to do was check the checkbook balance.

[MiddleFingerMom]

1. Some menus (quite a few, in my experience) can be bypassed by immediately pressing zero.

[texanwitch]

2. Thanks for the info.

The bank I had was terrible.

Now I can get right in.

I was at the mall one day a guy just lost it because he was dealing with a menu.

Some places are worse then others.

[Baitball Blogger]

7. Connecting with a real person that wants to help you is so incredibly rare.

I had someone step in at the bank who made it a point of ensuring that everything was going smoothly. It was an incredible experience because it never, never happens these days.

[HopeHoops]

3. Hand up. I can't stand Barbie the Automated Bimbo.

[CBGLuthier]

4. I actually prefer automated systems.

Why would I need to talk to a person to get a balance?

I pay three or four bills every month through automated systems and enjoy it.

I would hate to think of the huge cost there would be if every person needing their balances had to take a real person's time. It is 2012 after all.

[HappyMe]

5. For an answer

to your thread, please press 1.....

To access elevator music, press 2.....

[LynneSin]

6. I love online banking

I can see my balance in 2 minutes.

I also have an app for that. Was great when I realized my Trader Joe grocery bill was going to leave me with $3 in my checking account. Fixed it right on the spot.

[blueamy66]

8. I just yell into the phone "Let Me Speak to a Human Being"

until they transfer me

[RebelOne]

12. I have done that often.

It seems that is the only way to get a human.

[tanyev]

9. I don't mind an initial menu with one or two levels,

but I hate it when you get lost in the answering system labyrinth.

[raccoon]

10. same here. nt

[caraher]

11. Another bypass that sometimes works

In some systems the magic word is "representative." I've sliced through a lot of automated systems by saying that clearly at the first opportunity.

The all-time dumbest system was one I encountered last week whose first menu had only one option. It would keep repeating the message until you pressed "1" - which was, as I said, the ONLY choice they gave you.

[Major Nikon]

13. Just push random buttons until you get someone